^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ the glass factory. ^
^ ^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^^^^^^^
,,,,,»:^$¤ several centuries after it had last ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# belonged to us, we went on an outing to #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## the glass factory that bore our family ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### name. it had changed owners many times ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## since our ancestors death, and then ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# stood abandoned for a long while. #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ finally, the natural end station for ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ the buildings that survive: a museum, $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ and a gift shop. ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ there's a long time since my family ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# made anything. by many, we would be #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## considered poor. ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## there are two main factory buildings, ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# domed things of several floors, made in #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ reminescent of some cathedral. $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ custom-made glass, of course, large and ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ practical. on the eastern building, ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# some are shattered. #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### the other one is publicly open. there's ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## a museum, with wax figures of my great ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# great great grandfather, or something. #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ various tools (or replicas) laid out on ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ tables, with explaining texts. a lot of $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ glass of varying thickness. ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ ^^ ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# ^^ ^^ #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## »»»»»»» ^ ^ »»»»»»» ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### ^^ ^^ ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## ^^ ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ i quickly sneak out, and climb into the ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ other building. the contrast is $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ overwhelming. it must have stood ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ derelict for a long time, windows $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ broken, metallic trash and pools of ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# dark glass all over the floor. no #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## electric lights, but i can see by the ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### light that shines in wherever the dark ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## windows are missing a pane. ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ however, the greatest difference is the ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ higher floors: this building has none. $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ it is one massive hall, stretching away ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ infinitely above me. somewhere up there $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ is some great iron latticework, from ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# where chains are suspended, and parts #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## of machinery has been falling down. ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## there is, in the middle of the great ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# hall, a thin spiral staircase that #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ leads up there. i sneak over there, and ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ take a few reluctant steps. after just $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ a revolution, i notice that for each ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ step the building starts to glow, the $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ bricks turning a dark red, and then ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# orange, all the piled up debree being #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## lit from behind. ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## i stop ready to run down and out, but ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# there's someone else on the staircase #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ with me now, pressed close. he's ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ looking like me, short hair and thin $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ arms, but with ears from some animal, ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ and more disturbingly, completely made $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ of dark liquid glass. ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## ^^ ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### ^^ ^^ ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## »»»»»»» ^ ^ »»»»»»» ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# ^^ ^^ #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ ^^ ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ my fear holds me in place while he ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ starts operating levers and dials set $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ in the center of the staircase. slowly, ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# it starts spinning, circling upwards. #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## it's an elevator! i start to run ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### downwards, but now the liquid boy ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## creature grabs hold of me. i try to ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# shake him off, but he's too strong, and #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ pulls me back up beside him. ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ this time, i turn angry instead. what ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ the hell? who is this guy, acting like $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ this? i reach out my free arm and slam ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# a random lever. some metal bar is #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## suddenly released between us, hitting ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### him on the arm, forcing my release. i ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## shove him off of me, and he falls into ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# the levers, messing them up. #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ immediately, a thin rusty chainmail ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ curtain is dropped around me. but the $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ elevator also speeds up significantly. ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ the walls are flaring now, yellow, ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# white, almost blue. i close my eyes and #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## curl into a ball. but then, the glass ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### boy screams, a piercing sound that ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## forces my eyes back open. i watch as he ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# becomes too liquid, his body pooling #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ down in his now massive tail, and the ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ drop that falls toward the factory ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ floor. $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# he's crawling on the stairs, unable to #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## keep his body upright. can't reach the ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### levers, claws at my chainmail cage, ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## while his body is turning into dark ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# pearls. finally, he's lost too much of #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ himself and the scream is cut short. ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ the last of him rains down. $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ i still can't reach the levers from $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ within my cage. looking up, i try to ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# make out the ceiling, but it's all a #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## whirling sea of colours. below me glows ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### the hellfire of the factory walls, but ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## very faint. i sit down, curl back up, ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# become still. #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ ^^ $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ ^^ ^^ ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ »»»»»»» ^ ^ »»»»»»» $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ ^^ ^^ ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# ^^ #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### a large clunk shakes my entire body, ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## and snaps me back into reality. i'm ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# back at the factory floor, but the #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ stairs are still moving slightly, ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ clicking in place, carrying me the last $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ few centimeters. i came from below, ^:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ somehow. the chainmail is retracted, $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ and i slowly dismount the stairs. ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,»:^$¤## shaking and crying, i make my way over ##¤$^:»,,,
,,»:^$¤### the factory floor, wading through dark ###¤$^:»,,
,,,»:^$¤## glass marbles. a quick glance down, and ##¤$^:»,,,
,,,,»:^$¤# i see there's something faint inside #¤$^:»,,,,
,,,,,»:^$¤ them. embryos? are these eggs? ¤$^:»,,,,,
,,,,,,»:^$ $^:»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:^ i shudder, and climb back out. ^:»,,,,,,,
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